All-Star weekend, NBA Finals: What attracts crowds to the NBA?

The NBA Playoffs are already in full swing with the Golden State Warriors facing the San Antonio Spurs and the Cleveland Cavaliers attempting to defend their title by taking on the Boston Celtics.

And in this episode of NBA Hangouts, we’re looking at the kind of support the best basketball teams in the world continue to pull week-in-week-out.

Given the nature of the NBA Playoffs in recent seasons with the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers dominating most of the other teams, the rivalry between the East and the West is finally going back to the way it was even as recent as ten years ago.

LeBron James on one side, Stephen Curry on the other. And now with Tristan Thompson, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Kevin Love and Draymond Green also hitting similar heights at the same time, it’s safe to this say that this season has given us one of the most entertaining playoffs in a long, long time.

Given that the sport continues to spend millions worldwide in winning over fans, there are plenty of those who are willing to make the trip to the United States just to see their favourite stars in action.

The All-Star Weekend is possibly the most efficient way to see all your favourite stars in the span of two days and that’s exactly what AIB’s Tanmay Bhatt and Gursimran Khamba did.

Known for its rather laid back approach, the All-Star fixture is the coming together of the best talents from the East and the West. Pulling insane amounts of people every year, the game is an illustration of how open the world of professional basketball is in the States.

And it’s because of that laid back style and importance to fun that Tanmay and Khamba feel almost at home. You have the chance to see the players they met – including those who have messages for the Indian audience – as well as the kind of Snapchat and Instagram stories they shot during the weekend.

The All-Star game isn’t a competitive game in spirit and brings fans from all over the country – and the world – to cheer some of their favourite players. It’s because of this open system that celebrities, singers, models and even politicians can be spotted taking some time off from their busy schedules to live a little.

But while the All-Star game is a real crowd-puller, the real money in the NBA comes from the NBA Playoff Finals – where the best Western Conference team takes on the best Eastern Conference team to be crowned NBA Champion.

The past two finals have been between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers with each side winning once. Curry and Andre Iguodala helped the Warriors overcome the Cavs back in 2015.

LeBron and Irving repaid in kind when they totally demolished the Golden State Warriors in the finals last year – i.e 2016 – but this year, with the Warriors having added Durant to their ranks, it could be a close one.

NBA fan and all-out television superstar Rannvijay Singh joins us this episode to discuss his predictions on who could make it to the finals of the season. Maybe his jersey gives away his allegiance.

And if you think you can predict what’s going to happen this year in the finals, let us know in the comments section below.

As always, watch the NBA Hangouts every week on TVF and join the ever-growing community of hardcore basketball lovers in India.